NASCAR veteran and popular on-air personality, Kenny Wallace, has joined the grass roots bid to nominate and elect Fred Lorenzen to the NASCAR Hall of Fame 2014 class.

“Fearless Freddy is one our true pioneers,” said Wallace. “We are all beneficiaries of Fred Lorenzen’s commitment to the sport, and a place in the NASCAR Hall of Fame is a way of saying thanks and acknowledging his contributions.”

Wallace joins the grass roots effort spearheaded by Lorenzen’s children, Amanda and Chris, along with motorsports activists like Chicagoland Speedway president Scott Paddock and Waddell Wilson, who worked as NASCAR crew chief and engine builder for nearly 30 years.

Wallace was briefed on the Lorenzen bid during meetings in Springfield, Ill. where he was advocating on behalf of American Ethanol for wider use of E-15 fuel.

Earning the nicknames “Fearless Freddie” and “Golden Boy,” Lorenzen recorded 26 wins in his NASCAR career and is still the only NASCAR driver to win 20 races in their first 100 starts. He also became the first driver to earn more than $100,000 in winnings in a single season, claiming $113,570 driving for the legendary Holman-Moody team in 1963. Lorenzen is a member of more than one motorsports hall of fame including the National Motorsports Press Association’s Hall of Fame, the International Motorsports Hall of Fame and the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.

“I had the honor of being there when my brother Rusty was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame last year. Recognizing the efforts of those who have contributed to the growth and popularity of the sport is so important. We really need to concentrate on getting more of the pioneers into the Hall of Fame,” Wallace added.

The co-host of two weekly SPEED TV programs, NASCAR RaceDay and NASCAR Victory Lane, Wallace said he hopes to spread the news of the Lorenzen campaign in the weeks ahead.

Wallace has nine wins in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and nearly 900 starts in NASCAR’s top three series. He plans to drive in limited Nationwide Series schedule in 2013.